Officials have announced details of the 2024 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge set to take place in Sarnia-Lambton November 1 to 9.
The prestigious international tournament showcases hockey talent from across the globe, featuring two Canadian teams and four international entries.
Events will be held at venues across Lambton County, with exhibition games at Petrolia’s Greenwood Recreation Centre and The Shores Recreation Centre in Forest. All Tournament games will take place at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia.
“Our objective is to create and host a positive, memorable, and rewarding World Under 17 Challenge experience for the players, teams, families, fans, partners, volunteers, our community, and Hockey Canada,” stated a news release, pointing to a committee assembled to help stage the event. “And showcase the Sarnia-Lambton community and Tourism Sarnia-Lambton as premier, professional hosts.”
Thousands of visitors are expected to make their way to the region for the event, with an estimated economic impact of $4 million to $5 million, said Mark Perrin, Tourism Sarnia Lambton’s executive director.
In addition to the World U17 games, special events will include a ‘FanFest’, pre-game ceremonies, post-game ceremonies, and fan appreciation activities.
Competing teams include: Team Czechia, Team Finland, Team USA, Team Sweden, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White.
The preliminary round robin tournament games run November 3-5, with the quarterfinals taking place November 7, Semifinal November 8 and the placement, bronze and gold medal games taking place November 9.
“The host committee is excited to open a registration for tournament volunteers and position leads, as we expect to work with roughly 150+ volunteers to help support a successful World Under 17 Tournament,” officials stated.
The volunteer link and screening portal can be found here - Volunteer Registration Link.
All Sarnia games at Progressive Auto Sales Arena will be sold in partnership with the Sarnia Sting and their Box Office services.
Full Tournament Ticket Packages will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, September 10 with the cost ranging from $265 to $210 for adults, and $175 to $140 for kids.
The Full Tournament Ticket Packages include 14 games, and average between $15-$19 per game for adults, and $10-$12.50 per game for kids.
Pending availability, additional packages and individual game tickets will be made available in the coming weeks. Sarnia Sting Season Ticket Holders will be presented with a pre-sale opportunity shortly.
For more information, visit https://www.ontbluecoast.com/worldu17/